During the Easter break, a large number of Bloxham cricketers took part in exciting pre-season training, ready for the Summer Term’s fixtures ahead.
During the Easter break, a large number of Bloxham cricketers took part in exciting pre-season training, ready for the Summer Term’s fixtures ahead.
Thank you to Mr Finch for his report on the Bloxham School 1st XI cricket squad’s April training camp at Lilleshall.
For the third year in a row, the Bloxham School senior cricket squad went to Lilleshall National Sports Centre in Newport to carry out their final preparations for the season ahead. The training camp would be tough and would focus on developing the individual skills for each player. The camp started on Friday 1st April, beginning with a team meeting to address the main aims and targets for the season. This was a critical session for the group, with some members who could be playing with the 1st XI for the next four years. The young squad then took to the cricket hall to begin their session. The first aspect of the camp was to work on fitness, focusing the mind and body on the challenges ahead. Each session provided the players with the opportunity to develop all areas of their cricket.
The entire squad worked really hard throughout the camp and the progress each player made was evident. No doubt these new skills will be on show during the boys’ matches over the next 10 weeks or so. Our first challenge would be managing four tough games in five days. The camp was rounded off with the boys watching the men’s England cricket squad coming agonisingly close to winning a second T20 World Title, only to fall fractionally short against the West Indies.
Unfortunately, the boys’ first opportunity to demonstrate their developed skills in a pre-season T20 tournament at Stowe was abandoned due to a mixture of snow and rain a true sign that the cricket season was upon us.
I am very much looking forward to working with this young group of players over the course of the season and I am confident that we will be competing at a good level in our upcoming matches. The future of Bloxham’s senior cricket looks healthy and exciting; so now let the season begin!
Read Mr Richmond’s review below of an encouraging week’s pre-season training at Bloxham for some of our younger cricketers.
During the last week of the Easter holidays, Bloxham School hosted a comprehensive and enjoyable pre-season programme, led by Brett Richmond, Paul Atkins, Toby Cowley and Paul O’Brien. The course began on Monday 11th April with three days’ of training for our Third and Fourth Formers. Despite the poor conditions outside, the boys trained very hard in The Dewey hall, developing both technically and tactically. The course came to an end with a series of conditioned games on the astro, culminating in a close win for the Fourth Form side.
Thursday and Friday saw the Lower School pupils’ chance to join in on the cricketing fun. For many of these boys it was their first taste of cricket, and so the course’s aim was to help each individual develop their batting, bowling and fielding skills, no matter their previous experience. Every player impressed Mr Richmond with their attitude to learning and raw potential. The youth of the current 1st XI squad was used as motivation for the Lower School boys, with some of them being only two to three years away from potentially representing the 1st XI – a very exciting prospect!
Unfortunately, like the 1st XI, our Third and Fourth Forms’ weekend fixture against King Henry VIII had to be abandoned due to the weather, so they will have to wait a bit longer to showcase what they learned during their course.
Good luck to our cricket teams from across the age groups as they prepare for the season ahead – there’s clearly lots to look forward to!
View some more photos of pre-season cricket coaching here.